A Knight's Tale
by LoveCarolineKK
Summary: Captain Hook desires treasure from their kingdom. What better way to do that, than sneaking into the palace right under their noses, and escaping with the Queen and King's most prized possession?


**A/N: So sorry I've been missing so long, but I was working on this for class. I hope you like it...**

"Bloody hell," he whispered, the wind causing a shiver to wrack his frame. He could feel the goose bumps as they formed on his arms and legs, air cutting through the chainmail. The bitter chill causing him to stop, to try and catch his breath through the metal encasement. Removing the metal helmet, his coal-colored hair, matted with sweat felt the wrath of the sudden temperature change. The only thing safe from the harsh environment was the metal hook replacing his left hand, which was currently being used to hold up a shield.

What he wouldn't do for his old leather gear, to be back on his ship. The sea calls more than a mission on land ever would, and yet, here he is. He knew what he had to do, as he stood on the edge of the pitch-black forest, looking up at the walls encasing the kingdom. Thousands of stones stacked on top of each other, ivy growing all the way to the top and a wooden drawbridge, marking the edge of the kingdom. He had been here once before, at a much different point in his life, when it was about playing marbles in the mud, not about getting even. Pulling the helmet back on, securing it in place, steeling himself, he made his way to the front gates.

"Speak your name," was the first thing the man heard as he approached the two standing outside the kingdom. The guards had their swords at the ready, pointing towards the stranger as he hesitantly approached, each step punctuated by the sounds of leaves snapping. It was the only sound to be heard other than the distant music coming from celebration inside the kingdom.

"Killian" he stated his voice echoing throughout the emptiness of the forest. The two guards made no move to put away their weapons, Killian could feel himself starting to sweat, and his stomach twisting in knots. It seemed like they regarded him for hours rather than mere minutes, before they finally sheathed their weapons and signaled for the keeper to open the gate.

The wood lowered slowly, landing with a thud on the other side, revealing the lights glimmering, and people dancing all throughout the streets. The noise was loud enough where Killian could feel it echoing inside his helmet, the once dull thrum, now a rambunctious cacophony. He was eager to make it to the palace, to get out of the chaos that was townspeople celebrating. When he was done with this, he was going to need at least a pint of rum to lessen the throbbing in his skull.

If this were a more mundane mission one of his lousy crew hands would be dealing with this. They had better get their pay-off from this mission, or someone was going to be dealing with him and his hook. As he made his way through the mob of people, he could hear each of his steps, the sound of clinging metal echoed louder than every other noise thus far. The guards at the castle didn't so much as glance at him as he struts through the front gate and straight up the castle stairs.

Upon entering the castle, Killian is quick to rid himself of the offending helmet. No longer needing to keep up the disguise, he is eager to be rid of the hindrance. He flies up the stairs; eager to be in and out, however, reaching the top proves to him that it might not be that simple. Lining the hallway is door after door, and endless row of rooms and passageways. Resisting the urge to stop his foot like a toddler, Killian begins his search, listening for noise in each room, before flinging the door open, sword at the ready. About ready to give up, Killian reaches the last door on the left wing, his forehead hitting the wood with a soft thud, when once again he hears no noise coming from inside.

When he's about to turn to head down one of the other hallway he hears a crash echo inside the room. With a sword drawn, he flings the door open to find a woman sitting at her vanity, face in her hands, elbows on her knees, and a shattered hand mirror next to her on the floor.

"I told you to go away mother. I refuse to marry that prince," the woman sneers finally looking up and turning to the man. Killian is momentarily stunned taking in the blonde hair with a tiara delicately placed in it, and deep olive eyes calculating and analyzing him, he had heard of her beauty, and yet was still unprepared.

"I'm sorry to hear that princess," he tells her, making a show of putting his weapon away and walking towards her. Wary of the intruder, the princess finds the dagger hidden in the lace of her purple ball gown, her hand firmly grasping the handle in case she needs to protect herself. Her father made sure to teach her how to defend herself, and as she gripped the knife, she was mentally running through everything he had gone over with her.

"Who are you?" She demands looking at the knight in front of her. She didn't recognize him from the dozen guards they have working for them. She would have remembered the dark hair and piercing-ocean eyes. They wouldn't have been easy to forget, and yet she couldn't help but feel as if she had in fact seen them somewhere before outside of the castle walls.

"Killian Jones, at your service," he said with a bow and a smile.

"Jones?" The princess repeated. The name seemed vaguely familiar.

Killian knew time was running out, he could recognize the look on her face and it was only a matter of minutes before she realized she recognized him from the wanted posters.

"I'm here to escort you into town, princess Emma" he told her, raising his chin high into the air. Hoping that it would give him the air of palace guard, rather than swash-buckling pirate.

"What happened to Sir Graham?" She asked raising her eyebrow, her stance moving into one with muscles coiled, ready to make an escape. The two were locked in a stare for a few minutes, before Killian's shoulder slumped and he threw his head back in frustration.

"Alright princess, I tried to do this the easy way. Yet, you try my patience," He told her before lunging towards her, his face unable to hide his surprise at the knife pulled from behind her back.

"I know how to use this," she warned, holding it towards his throat. The pirate simply smiled down at her. She was out of her league, and she was beginning to realize that after catching the smirk that flittered across his face. Her stance didn't change; she wasn't going down without a fight.

"That's bad form," he told her moving her elbow into a more secure stance. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened at the man standing in front of her a cocky smile on his face. That was the last thing she noticed before she took her chance and lunged, missing as the man just quickly sidestepped out of the way.

He was quick to make his next move, grabbing her wrist and twisting it above her head. The knife clattered to the floor as she cried out in pain.

"What do you want," she sputtered out between clenched teeth, eyes closed tight, her other hand grasping at his, desperate to set her arm free from his titanium grip.

He simply smiled, before using her captive wrist to pull her from the room. Sticking his head out into the hallway, he checked both ways before running down the corridor.

"Where are you taking me?" The princess asked frantically, desperation in her tone, her eyes wide with fright. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, while running she was praying, praying that someone would see her so distraught and know something was amiss.

"Have you ever dreamed of travel?" He asked as he looked down the stairwell before tugging her after him again. As he passed by the main entrance he noticed a cloak hanging on the wall by his discarded helmet. Grabbing both, he was quick to throw the cloak over her, and pull the helmet over his own head, now was not the time to be discovered. With a hold on her arms he pulled her through the back leading her through the boisterous crowd, towards the drawbridge. As they approached he slowed to a walk, checking over his shoulder to see that the princess was still thoroughly covered, before making his way through the gate with her at his side.

"She's sick, I found her lying in the middle of the kingdom," he explained as the knights prepared to get their weapons from their holster.

There was a brief paused before the two armored guards regarded one another with a nod and let him pass. He could feel the princess about to protest, and grabbed her wrist harder, a warning that speaking out would not end well for her. As he pulled her on, he could feel her heels digging into the mud, trying to impede his escape.

Now that they were out of the castle, pretenses aside, he was quick to rid himself of the helmet once more, getting rid of the shield as well, before throwing the princess over his shoulder, taking off at a faster pace through the woods.

"What happened to your hand?" the princess asked regarding the threatening gleam from the metal hook, now exposed with the loss of his shield.

"Let's just say some beast of a man took it from me," he told her as they emerged on the other side of the woods, a ship looming over them, casting a shadow on the ground through the moonlight.

"Jewel of the Realm, isn't that the ship that went rogue?" she asked before a gasp escaped her lips, realization finally dawning on her. Her heart rate speed up, her stomach doing somersaults. She wasn't going to make it out of this, not alive at least. She had heard the tales of the scoundrel and she had hoped she would never have to cross his paths.

"Why me?" she asked as the pirate set her down on the ship, tying her hands behind the mast. The crew gathered around smiling at one another and patting the captain on the back.

"Your kingdom has something I want, and you, love, are the perfect pawn to ensure I get exactly that," he whispered menacingly, punctuating the last few words, before walking towards the helm and leaving her alone in the mass of crew members.

"Whatever you want, I can give it to you. Just let me go," she pleaded, pulling on the ropes, wincing as she felt it cutting into her wrists, although she noticed there was now a little slack. She acted as if nothing had changed.

"What the captain wants, you can't give him," sneered one of the shipmates. Emma could feel the hot tears pooling in her eyes, wanting nothing more than to curl up in a ball, yet the ropes kept her from doing just that. She wished she would wake up back in her bed and this will all have been a terrible nightmare.

Time passed and crewmembers dwindled as they went below deck to sleep, until she was the only one left on the main deck. Her resolve strengthened seeing no one milling about, and she set her mind on escaping.

Sensing the only opportunity she pulled and pulled at her restraints, biting back the cries that tried to escape as the rope cut her hands further. When she felt them start to loosen, she had to physically contain herself from calling out in victory. Slipping off her heels, she ran to the railing and jumped, not caring about the height, or her bruising landing, before she took off in a sprint back towards her kingdom.

What she was unaware of were the eyes watching her. Killian watched her escape, flask in his hand. Taking a swig, he couldn't help but smile, albeit sarcastically. The princess was more resourceful than they thought.

He would let her go this time, let her think she had won, but it wasn't the last she had seen of him. Far from it, he would get what he wanted, and now she had bested him, putting a larger target on her head.

**Let me know if you liked it!**


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